A Dash and a Bolt
by True Rarity
Summary: Rainbow Dash wakes up one day to find that she's finally been accepted into the Wonderbolts! Eagerly, she packs her bags to head to headquarters. But when she arrives, she finds something unexpected as a good friend becomes something more. SoarinDash fanfiction. MLP: FiM belongs to Lauren Faust, Megan McCarthy, and Hasbro.


A _Dash _and a** Bolt**

Chapter 1 – A "Sappy" Goodbye

"Rainbow Dash! Wake up!"

Rainbow Dash uttered a muffled moan, rolled over, and slammed her face into her pillow. _Not again,_ she thought groggily. Pinkie Pie was a great friend, but did she have to come get her up so early? One time, Rainbow Dash recalled, she'd gotten her up when it was still dark, claiming –

"I have a surprise, Rainbow Dash! Come on!"

There it was again. The old "I have a surprise" trick. Even worse were her silly threats.

"Rainbow Dash, if you don't get up really, and I mean _really_, soon, I'm going to come up there and drag you down myself!"

Although Pinkie wasn't a Pegasus, Rainbow Dash held no doubts about her ability to drag her out of bed anyway. With a grunt, the sleepy pony chucked her pillow out the window.

"Silly Dashie! It's not like you could trick me into thinking your pillow is you!"

There was only one way to get her to shut up, Rainbow decided, and that was to humor her. Sluggishly, she poked her head out her window.

"What do you want, Pinkie?"

"_Well,_ last night while I was snuggled up all warm and cozy in my fluffy bed, I got a strange sign from my Pinkie Sense! It rocketed me out of bed and onto the ceiling before slamming me back down again! I knew it would happen here, but it was the middle of the night, so, _duh,_ of course I had to be sneaky about it! So I tiptoed over here and saw a really professional – looking Pegasus put something in your mailbox! As soon as he was gone, I stuck my head in there and found _this!_"

Rainbow Dash, who was falling asleep halfway through Pinkie Pie's speech, woke up immediately when she heard the words "professional – looking Pegasus". She darted out her window, swooped down, and snatched up the fancy envelope that Pinkie had produced from her mailbox.

"Whoa." Rainbow Dash examined the dark blue envelope, turning it over in her hooves. Her name and address were written on the front in silver pen.

"I know," Pinkie agreed. "It's just fancy-shmancy, isn't it?"

"It's not just 'fancy-shmancy'," Rainbow Dash declared. "Look at this return address!" She showed the front of the envelope to Pinkie Pie.

"Whoa!" Pinkie Pie gasped.

"I know!" Rainbow said. "_Totally_ 'whoa'!"

"Open it up! Open it, open it!" Pinkie squealed, hopping up and down.

Rainbow Dash didn't have to be told twice. She flipped the envelope over again and gently broke the sophisticated seal. _Could it be…?_ She wondered excitedly as she pulled the classy paper out of the envelope.

The letter read as follows:

_Miss Rainbow Dash,_

_Thank you for your service at our Wonderbolts Academy training facility. As you know, your seven years of training have been completed. You have been accepted into the Wonderbolts as a rank three VIP. Please come to our official headquarters at the return address as soon as possible. Bring this letter as proof of your acceptance. We look forward to working with you._

_ Yours Truly,_

_ Spitfire_

Next to the signature was a hoofprint – Spitfire's, to be exact, except it was very small, so she likely used an inked stamp.

"What is it?" Pinkie Pie demanded.

"I did it?" Rainbow Dash gasped in near disbelief. "I mean, I did it!" She gave the letter to Pinkie Pie and began flying around in excitement. "It finally happened! I'm a Wonderbolt!"

Pinkie Pie skimmed through the letter, though it wasn't necessary. "Whee-hee!" she exclaimed, bouncing about. "I knew you could do it, Dashie!"

Rainbow Dash stopped and grabbed Pinkie's shoulders. "Quick, Pinkie," she said, "get the girls and Scootaloo! I… I have to start packing!"

"Will do!" Pinkie Pie saluted and bounced off to get the rest of their friends.

"Ohmigoshohmigoshohmigoshohmigoshohmigosh!" Rainbow Dash tried hard not to shout as she flew back up to her house to pack her things.

The next few hours were filled with excitement and near chaos. Rainbow Dash found it hard to pack as her friends showed up, one by one.

Twilight Sparkle showed up first with Spike on her back. Scootaloo, now a young adult with a cutie mark, came next, only slowed down by the fact that she'd picked up Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and their sisters. That left Fluttershy, who didn't need much persuasion from Pinkie Pie to come congratulate her friend.

"Aw, thanks, guys," Rainbow Dash said, trying in vain to sound modest. "But it's getting kind of crowded in here. How about you go meet up with the others on the ground while I finish packing?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, Rainbow Dash," Fluttershy said softly. "I didn't mean to distract you."

"It's okay, just… clear out before we all smother, okay?" Rainbow quipped, shooing her friends toward the door. "Now, where's my pillow again?"

As if on cue, Applejack called up, "Hey, Rainbow Dash, is this yer pillow down here?"

"Oh, that's right, I threw it out the window," Rainbow recalled, and flew down to collect it. "Yeah, that's mine."

"Well, what in tarnation was it doin' down here?" Applejack asked, passing the pillow to her.

"Uh, let Pinkie Pie tell you."

"Congrats, by the way," Applejack added.

"Yes, please accept our sincerest congratulations," Rarity chimed in.

"Thanks, girls," Rainbow Dash said, beginning to like all the extra attention. She was about to fly back up when she noticed that Rarity was looking her over with slight distaste. "Okay, what is it?" Rainbow demanded to know.

"Well, I didn't want to say anything," Rarity began reluctantly, "but your mane and tail are an absolute mess, Rainbow."

Rainbow Dash brought a hoof to her mane and realized that she was indeed still a bed head. "Oh, _that_," she said, waving her hoof dismissively.

"Well, didn't you take the time to brush them after you got up this morning?" Rarity asked.

"Let's just say it's hard when a certain pink pony is trying to get you up to show you an important letter," Rainbow said, and flew up to her house again.

After several more minor interruptions, Rainbow Dash did eventually manage to get her packing done (and brushed her mane and tail). Although there was a lot she'd wanted to take with her, the Pegasus was able to put all the necessities, and a few extras, in one suitcase and one saddlebag.

"Are you done up there yet?" Pinkie Pie shouted up at Rainbow Dash, for what seemed like the fiftieth time.

"Yes, yes!" Rainbow Dash yelled back, buckling her saddlebag. She snatched her suitcase off her bed and glided back down to join her friends.

"Are you sure you don't want to stay a little bit longer?" Pinkie Pie pleaded. "Give me five minutes and I could plan the best send-off you'll ever get!"

Rainbow Dash laughed. "Thanks, Pinkie, but I should really get going."

"I know I already said this," Twilight began, "but I want you to know how truly happy I am for you."

"I always knew you would make it," Rarity said, beginning to get dramatic as tears welled up in her eyes.

"Go get 'em, Dash!" Applejack said, a little bit more enthusiastic.

"We believe in you," Fluttershy said confidently.

"_That's_ for sure," Apple Bloom said with a smile.

"Bring back lots of souvenirs!" Sweetie Belle squeaked, jumping in the air.

"You can count on it," Rainbow chuckled as the others invaded her for a group hug.

That left Scootaloo, who was standing apart from the group looking dejected.

"Hey, sport," Rainbow Dash began gently, "I… I'm not so good at those… 'sappy' goodbyes, but…"

"It's okay, Rainbow Dash," Scootaloo assured her. "I just… I'll miss you, that's all."

"I - I'll miss you, too," Rainbow Dash said, her voice cracking as she pulled Scootaloo in for a hug.

After the hug broke, Rainbow straightened. "Well, I should get going, before – you know, you might get me to start crying."

The others smiled knowingly.

"Goodbye, all!" Rainbow called, spreading her wings. "I'll be back for Hearth's Warming!"

"Bye, Rainbow Dash!" The others waved enthusiastically as their friend pushed off the ground and flew away.

Rainbow Dash tried hard not to cry. Instead, she thought about what awaited her at Wonderbolts headquarters. Pulling out the letter, she continued on her way towards Cloudsdale.

TO BE CONTINUED…


End file.
